Sofia, Kealin, Nona, Hannah, Leah and Calista making Valentines for veterans.
On Monday, January 19, the United States honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legislation was passed in 1983 to commemorate King’s birthday and his legacy, turning the 3rd Monday of January into a federal holiday. This holiday is to be observed as a national day of service– “A day on, not a day off.” According to the government’s site on the MLK Day of Service:
“[The day] calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a ‘Beloved Community.’”
When I kicked off my teen advisory board meetings for this school year, one of the first items I brought to our group was my desire to have the TAB participate in at least one service project. We brainstormed through a few of our monthly meetings, and in November I introduced the MLK Day of Service as an option. Our local volunteer hub, Volunteer Connect, facilitates service opportunities on this day; everything from light building projects to park cleanup, creating floral arrangements for hospice patients to sewing up dog beds for the pets of the homeless. I presented the variety of options, with the biggest caveat: donating your time on a day off from school. Would the group be willing to do that?